Passengers are reminded that a £7.1 million package of railway improvements starts this weekend, affecting journeys between Newcastle and Scotland.
Network Rail teams will be at sites across the North East of England over the next three weekends: 19-20 September, 26-27 September, and 3-4 October.
The investment includes track renewal, upgrades to switches and crossings, improving drainage systems and renewing overhead line equipment. This is in addition to a £4.6 million investment on the line between North Berwick and Dunbar in Scotland.
Passengers travelling on all three weekends are advised to plan ahead, allow extra time for journeys and check details of their journeys before setting off. Some trains will be diverted around line closures, while others will have rail replacement services operating for stations between Newcastle and Edinburgh.
The improvement project will include:
- Laying more than 3.2km of new track at Heaton North, Morpeth and Shortridge for smoother, more dependable journeys.
- Replacing or refurbishing eight sets of points – the equipment which allows trains to move between tracks – at Heaton North, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Tweedmouth to improve reliability.
- Renewing 1.5km of overhead line equipment to support more reliable electric train services.
- Upgrading track drainage at Scremerston and clearing more than four miles of drainage systems to reduce the risk of flooding and weather-related delays.
- Carrying out vegetation management to keep signals visible and prevent trees and leaves touching the overhead power lines, which can cause disruption.
- Mandatory safety inspections of the track, points and structures along the route to maintain a safe and reliable railway.
Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for Network Rail and LNER, said: “This is a major programme of work that will help deliver a more reliable railway between Newcastle and Scotland for passengers and freight customers. These three weekends of work will see us deliver a significant package of improvements – renewing track, points, drainage and overhead line equipment across the route.
“By investing in this vital infrastructure now, we can reduce the risk of delays caused by flooding and failures, and help provide smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers and freight services.
“We know that engineering work causes disruption to passengers and we’re sorry to anyone whose journey will be affected. We want to thank passengers and residents for their patience while this essential work takes place.”
A spokesperson for the train operating companies commented: “These improvements will help deliver a more reliable railway for our customers, and we’re working hard as an industry to keep people moving over these weekends.
“Some trains can divert around the work, allowing customers to maintain direct rail connections. However, some stations will be served by rail replacement services. For those travelling on these weekends, we encourage you to check your journey before setting off and allow extra time to complete your journey.”
Level crossing users along the Newcastle to Carlisle line should be aware that this engineering work will mean an increase in rail traffic as some services are diverted – and there may be longer wait times than usual before it’s safe to cross.
Image credit: Network Rail
